Increment wheel



y 5, 1962 M. A. HALL 3,034,370

INCREMENT WHEEL Filed May 2'7, 1960 32 34 mmvron.

MITCHELL A. HALL ATTORNEY .United States Mitchell The present inventionrelates to an increment wheel, and is concerned particularly with meansto activate automatically a subject device such as a valve, anelectrical switch, a mechanical linkage or other apparatus to becontrolled, at preselected time intervals and/or for predeterminedperiods of time, as may be determined from time totime according to thewill of an operator. In other words, the increment wheel can be set oradjusted whenever necessary, to perform functions or services at regularor irregular time intervals, or throughout periods of predeterminedduration, as may be required.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved control device ofthe character stated, which is highly dependable and accurate in itsoperation.

Another object is to incorporate in a device of the character stated,improved easily manipulated means for changing or resetting theoperating characteristics of the device instantly and without the use oftools.

A further object is to provide simple and inexpensive means for lockingcertain operating elements of the control device in adjusted positions,to avoid the possibility of erratic or undependable performance due topossible loss or change of adjustments in the course of operation of thedevice.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the 'means describedherein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

MG. 1 is a front elevational. view of the improved control device of theinvention, shown adjusted or set to perform a maximum number ofsuccessive actuations at regular time intervals.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the device set to perform alesser number of successive actuations in a given period of time.

P16. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of a driving apparatusconstituting an element of the control device, parts thereof beingremoved to disclose interior construction.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a spring plate constituting part of the drivingapparatus.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view looking downwardly upon FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a detail perspective view of an adjustable stop or abutmentforming part of the driving apparatus.

The present invention constitutes an improvement over the devicedisclosed in my copending application Serial No. 819,355, filed June 10,1959.

In the drawing, 10 indicates a support upon which are rotatably mounteda ratchet wheel 12 and a driving element drum or increment wheel 14, thelatter being preferably kept in continuous slow rotation by means of asynchronous electric motor 16 or equivalent prime mover. It may beassumed, for the purpose of the instant explanation, that the motorrotates element 14 at a constant speed of one revolution per hour;however, the particular rate of rotation is a matter of immateriality tothe present invention, and should be so considered.

The driven member 12, which may be a ratchet wheel or equivalentelement, may have a central shaft 18 adapted complete understanding ofthe present invention.

. omitted from the disclosure as unnecessary to a full and t 3,034,37hPatented May 15, 1962 As indicated upon FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the slowlyrotating driving element or increment wheel 14 carries a multiplicity ofselectively extensible blades or abutment elements 20, which whenextended radially outwardly from the periphery of the driving elementmay engage a tooth such as 22 of the ratchet wheel, for partiallyrotating the latter. Referring to FIG. 2, for example, one of the bladesor abutment elements 25) is shown in driving contact with one of theratchet wheel teeth 22, for rotating the ratchet wheel in ,clockwisedirection a distance determined by the time that the blade or abutmentelement remains in driving contact with the tooth 22. It is assumed, ofcourse, that the driving element 14 is slowly to transmit to the ratchetwheel the motion of the driving element so long as the engagementpersists, or until the blade passes over the peak of the tooth.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that with four blade orabutment elements extended, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, one full rotation ofthe increment wheel, drum or driving element 14 will result in impartingfour impulses to the ratchet wheel, causing it to rotate a totaldistance traversed by four ratchet wheel teeth.

In the example of FIG. 1, there are twelve blade or abutment elementsextended from the increment wheel or driving element 14, so that uponone full rotation of the driving element, twelve impulses will bedelivered to the ratchet wheel. If but one blade or abutment elementwere extended, only one actuation of the ratchet wheel would occurduring a complete rotation of the driving element.

Thus it will be understood that if the increment wheel or drivingelement of FIG. 2 rotates at the rate of one revolution per hour, theratchet wheel will be actuated at fifteen-minute intervals so long asthe driving element rate of rotation is maintained. If there are twelveblade or abutment elements extended, as in FIG. 1, the ratchet wheelwill be actuated atfive-minute intervals, under the samerate of rotationof the driving element. The number and the sequence of abutment elementsto be extended is by choice of the operator, as will be understood.

The body of the increment wheel, drum or driving element 14- may consistof a turnedwheel having a centrally bored hub 24 and a pair of spacedannular flanges 26 and 28 integral therewith. The bore 30 of the hub maybe interiorly screw-threaded to receive a screw 32, the purpose of whichis to secure in position against the outer face of flangefiii a springplate 34, to be referred to in greater detail hereinafter. Bore 30 maybe counterbored as at36 to accommodate the drive shaft 38 of asynchronous electric motor for slowly rotating the element 14 aspreviously explained.

. Shaft 38, if desired, may be keyed or otherwise fixedly secured withinbore 30, or, as shown in FIG. 6, the shaft may drive the element 14through the intermediary of a one-way clutch, herein disclosed by way ofexample as a coiled spring 40 embracing the shaft and having one of itsends 42 anchored to thehub- 24. This form of clutch depends for itsoperation upon the ability of the spring coils to contract upon theshaft when the shaft is rotated'in one direction, to eifect the drivingconnection. Relative rotation between the shaft and the body of element14 in the opposite direction: causes the coils to release their holdupon the shaft, thereby permitting manual rotation of he haf V Theprovisionof a clutch as above described facilitates assembly andservicing of the device in the event that it may become desirable ornecessary to manually rotate the driving element 14 relative to thedrive shaft 38. Such manipulation of the driving element may be resortedto in timing the operation of the device, or in making otheradjustments. The arrangement provides also for quick and easy bodilydisplacement of the element 14 from its drive shaft 38, for purposes ofrepair, replacement, or adjustment. understood, the clutch remains inengagement so long as shaft 38 rotates in the proper direction forcausing the element 14 to drive the ratchet wheel 12 as previouslyexplained. Shaft connections other than the clutch disclosed maybeemployed, if desired.

' The blades, stops or abutment elements 20 are slidable individuallyand selectively from a retracted or inoperative position, to an extendedoperative position, ra-

' 'dially from the periphery of the body or element 14. For

this purpose, a series of equally spaced radial slots 46 is formed inthe part 14, such slots traversing the flange 28 and terminating in thematerial of flange 26. The bottom 48 of each slot may terminate in thehub portion of element 14 between the flanges. All of the slots areindividually planar, and are open at the periphery and at the front wall50 of element 14. The front wall 50 is provided with a concentricannular groove 52, which is intersected by each of the slots 46, for apurpose to be explained. a V

The stops or abutment elements 20 are all identical in form, and eachcomprises a generally flat, thin, resilient plate or sheet substantiallyrectangular of shape, and having ahead 54 formed along its outer edge,preferably by turning at right angles a marginal portion of said edge,as shown. A limited portion 58 of the plate slit 56 extending inwardlyfrom the forward edge 60*, constitutes a tongue integral with the head,and has a free end 62 coextensive with the forward edge 60.

As the drawing indicates, FIGS. and 7, the tongue 58 and that portion ofthe head which overlies it, are

biased to one side of the plane of the plate or sheet, so

that edge 62 is offset laterally from the forward edge 60, therebyproducing a bend at 64 This may be done by means of a portion of aforming die strrlnng and bending the material of the plate at theapproximate location of the base of slot or slit 56.

In its normal state, the blade or abutment element 1s deformed with thetongue and edge 62 ofisetas stated; but due to the resiliency of themetal constituting the element, it is possible, by means of the humanfingers, to press the tongue and head temporarily to a condition ofalignment with the edge 60 and the remainder of head 54; That is, tongue58. mm its edge 62 may be yieldingly stop or abutment element-20.

In the retracted or inoperative position of the blade or abutmentelement, the tongue 58 is, of course, under stress, it having beenforced to align-with the edge 66] in order'to enter slot 46'.Accordingly,"if the head 54- be grasped and pulled'radially outwardly toextend the abut ment element to operative position, the tongue willleave slot 46, as indicated at the top of FIG. 3, and will immediatelyspring to and resume the normal biased position of FIG. '7. In thebiased position of the tongue, shown in dotted lines at 58 of FIG. 5,the lower edge of tongue 58 will rest upon the periphery of flange 28,where it element 14 independently of I 4 the head 58, it may bere-aligned with slot 48 for reentry thereinto. i I

In the absence of a deliberate manual straightening or twisting of head58, as above explained, displacement of the stop or abutment element tothe inoperative position is impossible. It is therefore a certainty thatthe blade, stop or abutment element 20, when deliberately As willreadily be.

adjacent to the head 54, as defined by a short slot or withdrawn toextended position, cannot by accident or inadvertence become displacedto the retracted or inoperative position.

In order to limit the outward or extended position of the blades orabut-ment elements 20, each of them may be provided'with a laterallyextended lug 68 struck from the material of the sheet or plateconstituting the abutment element, nearthe forward edge 60 thereof. Thelugs 68 are adapted to stop against the peripheral wall of groove 52,when the elements 20 are extended, to estab lish the outward limit ofprojection beyond the periphery of drum 14. Inward projection of bladesor elements 20. is established by the heads 54.

Assembly of the abutment elementsupon the drum or body 14 is very simplyaccomplished by inserting the rear edge 70 of each element 20 into adrum slot 46, and bodily advancing the element in the direction of thedrum axis until said edge 70 rests within the radial slot of flange 26.The several abutment elements so applied to the drum will have theirforward edges 60 exposed at the planar outside face 50 of flange 28. Tomaintain the abutment elements in position within the slots, thecircular disc-like spring plate 34 may be centered upon the face offlange 28, as in FIGS. 2 and 6, and secured thereon by means of screw32, with thesegments 72 of the spring plate each overlying andpreferably contacting the edge 60 of an abutment element.

Along the rear edge 70 of each blade or. abutment element, near the head54, may be provided a slight inabutment element, rests atv the entranceof a slot 46 to yieldingly oppose shifting of the abutment elementradially inwardly toward the hubof thedrum. -Whenever by deliberateaction the blade or abutment element is shifted to, the inoperative orretracted position, the incline entersslot 46 in the -side of flange 26,causing the abutment element to shift slightly in the direction ofspring plate 34, thereby to impose spring pressure against the edge '60of the abutment element, to frictionally hold the abutment element inretracted or inoperative position. Thisobviates the possibility ofaccidental or inadvertent outward extension of the abutment elementsduring operation of the control device.

In the operation of the device, an attendant upon being informed of thetiming and the sequence of ratchet wheel actuations required, selectsthe blades, stops or abut-ment elements 20 to be rendered active, and bygrasping the heads 54, pulls them.- radially outwardly to the fullyextended or operative position, limited by the lugs 68. The

blades, stops or abutment elements so extended are operative to reachand advance theteethof the ratchetwheel 12, as. the increment wheel .ordriving element 14 is slowly and continuously rotatedby means of asynchronous electric motor, or otherwise.

Upon being fully extended, the blades, stops or abutment elements 20 arepositively latched in the operative position by the tongues 58, aspreviously explained. To return any element 20 to the retracted orinoperative position, it is necessary to twist the offset portion of itshead 54 for aligning the tongue 38 with edge 60, whereupon the tonguewill be acceptable by slot 46 to permit inward radial shifting of theabutment element. Due

will remain until, by a deliberate manual straightening of 75 to thedeliberate manipulation required, the stops or abutment elements cannotby accident retire to the re- ,n acted or inoperative position, andthereby alter the timing and operating sequence of ratchet wheel 12.

ments, substitutions, or servicing of parts is accomplished quickly andwith a minimum of effort, due to the simplicity ofconstruction andassembly of the device. The number of blades, stops or abutment elementsincorporated in the device, as well as the spacing thereof relatively,may be modified in accordance with the service to be performed, and asis obvious, the rate of rotation of the increment wheel, drum or drivingelement may be a matter of choice or judgment.

It is to be understood that various other modifications and changes instructural details of the device may be made, within the scope of theappended claims, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A control device comprising a body having an outer periphery, anadjustable blade shiftable toward and from the body periphery between afully retracted position and a fully extended position, and meansreleasably'securing said blade in the positions stated, said meansincluding a self-engaging manually releasable latch for locking theblade in one of said positions, said latch engaging the periphery of thebody, to normally preclude displacement of the blade from extendedposition.

2. A control device comprising in combination, a drumlilte body havingan outer periphery transversely slotted,

an abutment elementslidablein the slot and including I a head movabletoward and from said periphery, and latch means on the head slidablewithin the slot, said latch means being resiliently biased crosswise ofthe slot,

to leave the slot and overlie the drum periphery upon predeterminedextension of the head outwardly beyond the periphery of the drum body.

3. A control device comprising in combination, a drumlike body having anouter periphery transversely slotted, a substantially flat abutmentelement slidable in the slot and including an elongate head movabletoward and from said periphery, the abutment element being slittedlengthwise of the head at a distance therefrom to provide a tongueintegral with the head, said tongue and a portion of said head beingresilient, and biased normally toward one side of the plane of thesubstantially flat abutment element, the biased tongue and head beingsubject to manipulation for disposing the tongue yieldingly into theplane of the flat abutment element, for reception of the tongue by thetransverse slot of the drum-like body, and means for limiting extensionof the head and the tongue outwardly beyond the periphery of said body.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3, wherein the abutment elementincludes a cam portion acting upon the body to shift the abutmentelement in the direction of extension of the tongue when the head ismoved toward the body periphery, and means for yieldingly resisting suchshifting of the abutment element.

5. An increment wheel comprising in combination, a drum-like body havingan outer periphery transversely slotted, a substantially flat, resilientabutment element slidable in the slot and including a head movabletoward and from said periphery, the abutment element being slitted toprovide a resilient tongue originally in the plane of the abutmentelement, but biased toward one side of said plane, so as to be normallydisalignedwith respect to the slot of the drum-like body, said tonguebeing subject to manipulation for yieldingly aligning the tongue withsaid slot for entry into said slot at the periphery of said body, andmeans for limiting extension of the head and the tongue outwardly beyondthe periphcry of said body.

6. The device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the abutment elementincludes a cam portion acting upon the body to shift the abutmentelement in the direction of extension of the tongue when the head ismoved toward the body periphery, and means for frictionally resistingsuch shifting of the abutment element.

7. An increment wheel comprising in combination, a circular body havingan outer peripheral surface and an axial face, said face having anannular recess therein defining an annular hub and a concentric insidewall uniformly spaced from the peripheral surface of the body, the axialface and the peripheral surface being slotted at intervals radially ofthe body, and transversely to the peripheral surface, each of the slotsbeing planar and intersecting the inside wall of the recess aforesaid, aplurality of substantially fiat planar abutment elements ofresilient'material slidably'received one within each of said slots, andslidable radially from an extended operative position to aretractedinoperative position relative to. the peripheral surface ofvthe body, a laterally extended lug on each abutment elementdisposed'within the annular recess of the body, to contact the insideWall of the recess for limiting extension of the abutment element tooperative position, a head on'each abutment element disposed exteriorlyof the peripheral surface of the body and movable with the abutmentelement toward and from said peripheral surface, a resilient tongue onthe abutment element adjacent to the head thereof, said tongue beingpermanently but yieldingly bent laterally out of the plane of theabutment element, to normally escape registry with the slot at theperipheral surface of the body and thereby contact said surface tooppose shifting of the abutment element from the extended ope'rativ'eposition to the retracted inoperative position, said tongue beingmanually subject to fiexation into registry with said slot forshiftability of the abutment element to retracted inoperative position,the tongue being adapted to flex out of the plane of the slot and tooverlie a solid portion of the'body periphery with each movement of theabutment element to operative position, thereby to lock the abutmentelement in extended operative position. I

8. The device as set forth in claim 7, wherein the head of the abutmentelement is flexible and integral with the tongue, to transmit flexationof the head to the tongue.

9. A control. device comprising in combination, a circular body havingan outer peripheral surface slotted transversely at intervalssubstantially radially of the body, each of the slots being planar andopen at the body periphery, a plurality of substantially flat planarabutment elements of. resilient material slidably received one withineach of said slots, and slidable radially from an extended operativeposition to a retracted inoperative position relative to the peripheralsurface of the body, a head on each abutment element disposed exteriorlyof the peripheral surface of the body and movable with the abutmentelement toward and from said peripheral surface, a resilient tongue onthe abutment element adjacent to the head thereof, said tongue beingpermanently but yieldingly bentlaterally out of the plane of theabutment element, to normally escape registry with the slot at theperipheral surface of the body and thereby contact said peripheralsurface to oppose shifting of the abutment element from the extendedoperative position to the retracted inoperative position, said tonguebeing manually subject to flexation into registry with said slot forshiftability of the abutment element to retracted inoperative position,the tongue being adapted to flex out of the plane of the slot and tooverlie a'solid portion of the body pen'phery with each movement of theabutment element to extended operative position,.thereby to lock theabutment element in the operative position.

10. The device as set forth in claim"9, wherein the head of the abutmentelement is flexible and integral with the tongue, to impart manualflexation of the head to the tongue.

11. A control device comprising in combination, a circular body havingacentral axially bored hub and an outer peripheral surface slottedtransversely and toward thehub, each'of the slots being planar and openat the 3 body periphery, a plurality of substantially flat planarabutment elements of resilient material slidably received one withineach of said slots, and slidable toward and from the hub from anextended operative position to a has connection with the tongue toimpart movement there of to the tongue.

- 13. An increment wheel comprising in combination, a

drum-like .body axially rotatable and having'an outer peripherytransversely slotted, each of the slots being planar retractedinoperative position relative to the peripheral" surface'of the body, ahead on each abutment element and movable therewith, the head beingexposed exteriorly beyond the peripheral-surface of the body, aresilient tongue on the abutment element adjacent to the head thereof,and extending in substantial parallelism with the bore of the body, saidtongue being permanently but yieldingly bent laterally out of the .planeof the abutment 7 element, to normally jescape registry with the slot atthe peripheral surface of i the body and {thereby impinge against saidsurface marginally of the slot to oppose shiftir iglof the abutmentelement in one direction, said tongue I being: manually subject toflexation into registry with said slot to render the tongue coplanarwiththe abutment element and thereby condition said. element for shiftingwithin the slot toward the retracted inoperative position, the tongue byreason of its resiliency being adapted to flex itself out of the planeof the slot Whenever the abutment element is shifted to the extendedoperative position, thereby the resume impingement of the tongueagainst, the peripheral surface ofthe body marginally of the slot, andmeans associated with the hub to rotate the circular body axially,

12. The device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the head of .theabutment element is manually movable and pinges upon the body peripherymarginally of the slot in the extended position of the slidable abutmentelement,

said tongue by reason of its resiliency being subject to manipulationfor aligning the tongue with the slot, for selective entry into the slotas the abutment element is moved therein toward the axis of thedrum-like body.

14. The device as set forth in claim 13, wherein the head of theabutment element is flexible under manual force and has connection withthe tongue to impart movement of the head to said tongue.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,957,394 Heinitz May 1, 1934 2,163,277 Hartmann June 20, 1939 2,428,195Breeding Sept. 30, 194-7 2,536,133 Klainmer Jan. 2, 1951

